Professional Opinion From Forensic Engineer Ron Hendry

A gross misinterpretation of the blood evidence by the Scientific Police

By Ron Hendry

This article contains graphic crime scene photographs.

The Scientific Police White Suits reexamined the cottage crime scene on December 18, 2007. During this reexamination, they removed a large number of shoes and other items that had been shoved under the bed during the original workup of the crime scene. After removing everything, investigators noticed and photographed dried blood drippings on the floor under and near the head end of the bed.

The photos above were taken on December 18, 2007, after stored items had been removed from under bed, revealing two small areas stained by dripping blood. Note how the nightstand is jammed up against the bed frame, covering a bloodstain that was part of the original crime scene.

The Scientific Police subsequently determined that this was important blood evidence that had been intentionally hidden by Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito. Photos and analysis of these blood drippings were included in a report prepared for the prosecutor and the Court. The photos of the blood dripping area and the police interpretation of what they meant were also included in the large Scientific Police crime scene exhibit, ostensibly produced for the jury’s consideration at the trial of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito.

The photo above shows one of the leather boots (at the arrow) that was next to Meredith’s head when she was found. The red and white tennis shoe is visible on the far left.

When police removed all the items from under the bed, they found and photographed the two blood-stained areas on the floor,

The appearance of these bloodstains is consistent with thick, coagulated blood that has begun to dry out. This is distinct from the splash made by fresh blood.

The image above shows page 28 of the Scientific Police report.

In fact, the analysis is mistaken, because a careful examination of crime scene photos shows that the bloodstains were created by the police themselves., Police photos taken immediately after the murder show a bloodstain on the floor between the bed and the nightstand. They also show a large paper shopping bag under the bed along with electrical wiring and a white electrical outlet box. The mattress had been pushed toward the wall, exposing a corner of the bed frame and slats. Blood dripping was observed on the exposed slats in the photos taken at that time. The nightstand at that time was about a foot from the bed frame.

In the photo above, the arrows locate blood stains on the slats and on the floor as found during the initial investigation in early November 2007. The bed frame was about 6 inches from the side wall and the nightstand was about 12 inches from the side of the bed frame in this photo.

Photos taken the day the body was discovered also show that a pair of brown leather boots were situated next to Meredith’s head. in a thick pool of blood between the nightstand and wardrobe. In fact, her head was resting on one of these boots.

The photos above are closeups of the bloodstains under the bed that were discovered on December 18. These stains would have been smeared had they been under the items shown in the November 2 and 3 photos. The smaller stained area was positioned well under the original position of the bed, exactly where the white electrical box had been located. The larger stained area was in an area covered by a shopping bag in the initial police photos.

The photo above shows the boots in the spot where they were found.

The police photos taken 47 days later, on December 18, 2007, show that the mattress had been removed and placed on top of the sofa in the living room. The bed frame had been jammed flush against the wall and the nightstand had been jammed against the edge of the bed frame. The relocation of the nightstand was such that it covered the blood stain visible on the floor in the earlier photos.

The December 18 photos show that clothing had been heaped on the bed, while shoes had been shoved under the bed. Among these shoes were the red and white Puma tennis shoes worn by Meredith when she was initially attacked. Also under the bed were the blood-soaked boots that had been lying in the pool of blood next to Meredith’s head.